The Psychology of Color—What Do Your Colors Say About Your Business?

We all have our favorites—colors that we are naturally drawn to. Whether we realize it or not, colors take center stage when it comes to the decisions made
by potential customers, as different colors elicit different feelings. 

How much so? According to statistics compiled by colorcom.com, about 93% of purchasing decisions are made based on visual
perceptions. When asked, 84.7% of consumers cited color as their main reason for buying a particular product. Additionally, 80% believe color increases
brand recognition (Source: University of Loyola, Maryland Study).

If you are considering branding (or re-branding) for your business, you will want to carefully consider the colors you use for your brand, signage, logo,
website, and other marketing materials to bring out certain emotions in those prospective customers.

How Colors Are Perceived by Consumers

Here is a breakdown of the different emotions that colors trigger in consumers:

• Red
  —Red creates a sense of urgency and can increase heart rate. Many interpret it as an aggressive, bold, and passionate color. It is also associated with
  love. When used for marketing, clearance items and sales are often associated with red, prompting customers to take action.
• Orange
  —Orange is frequently used for call-to-action buttons, as it is also an aggressive, eye-catching color. Many associate orange with happiness,
  affordability, and friendliness.
• Yellow
  —Another “happy” color, yellow exudes playfulness, optimism and youth. Yellow is frequently used to get the attention of those window shopping.
• Green
  —Depending on its use, green can represent wealth or nature. As one of the easiest colors for the eye to process, green is considered relaxing and
  unassuming.
• Blue
  —Often used by banks and law firms, blue communicates strength, trust, security, honesty, and calm.
• Pink
  —Pink is often used to market to females (“think pink”), and represents romance and femininity. No wonder we haven’t seen this color used in any Ford
  F-150 ads lately.
• Purple
  —Considered a calm, soothing color, purple is frequently used to sell anti-aging and beauty products. It is considered to be creative, imaginative, and
  nostalgic.
• Brown
  —The color brown is, well, earthy. It represents nature, organics, and elicits a feeling in many of stability, reliability, and approachability. Think
  UPS, Cotton, and Hersheys.
• Black
  —Black gives the feeling of power, luxury, and authority. Car companies often feature black cars in their ads for this very reason.
• White
  —White is often associated with purity, safety, and cleanliness.
• Gray
  —Gray elicits the feeling of stability, practicality, and timelessness. It can also say “bleh” if used too heavily, so be careful with that. Silver,
  its shinier counterpart, represents strong character and helpfulness. These are great accent colors.
• Multi-color
  —Branding with multiple colors, like Google, NBC, ebay, and others, give a positive, playful, multi-dimensional feel to the audience.

So if you are considering a branding strategy, keep these general color impressions in mind to make sure you are conveying the right message to your
customers. Need help with branding, marketing, or website design? We can help. OpenVine specializes in helping small businesses grow through strategic branding, logo design, responsive website design, and online marketing. Contact us today to learn more about our services or GET A FREE QUOTE NOW!